Retort



Sept. 20, 1932. w, c WHYTE 1,878,307

RETORT Filed Jan. 9, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l awe/144 01;

---- w/w 3%, WW

P 1932- w. c. WHYTE 1,878,307

RETORT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 46% Way/6 posited therein in bulk.

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 FUNITED STATES PATENT. oF I-ca WILLIAM CAMPBELL writers, on ELYRIA, orrro, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTED-ALLOYS COMPANY, or. ELYaIa-omo, A coaroaa'rron or care 7 nn'ronr 7 Application filed January 9, 1930. Serial No. 419,535.

My invention relates, to retorts,-and relates particularlyto rotatable retorts of a type, especially for use in case-hardening or annealing small iron or steel articles de- My invention pertains generally to the general type of apparatus disclosed in U. S. Letters Patents 822,460, 847,588, 884,180, 884,181, wherein steel or other articles to be case-hardened are deposited inacontinuously rotated retort, wherein the articles are agitated,'while exposed to a current of carburizing gas, directed therethrough.

. My invention, however, is susceptible of a broader application than for case-hardenmg,

and is especially adaptable for all purposes where the articles are to be brought to a relatively high heat under conditions whereby rapid discharging and recharging of the heated retort is a desideratum.

Considerable difficulty has previously been had in retorts of the above character so formed as to efficiently agitate the articles deposited therein, when used under alternate conditions of high and low temperatures.

agitation of the articles contained in such retorts by providing the interior wall thereof with inner longitudinally extending ribs, but such retorts have been found objectionable since due to thevariation in expansive and contractive stresses setup in the material of the retort walls due to the temperature Variations to which the retort is exposed, they crack and are otherwise injured.

An object of my inventionis to provide a retort which resists destruction due to variations in heat, but which at the same time is very eflicient in operation and in the agitation of articles placed therein, when the retort is rotated.

Another obj ectof my invention is to provide a retort of improved form foroperative purposes, which will not be subject to injury, because of heat changes during the process of manufacturing the retort, or to which it may be exposed in the practical use of the retort.

Another object of my invention is to prod Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will be better understood by reference .to thefollowing description of an .embodiment of my invention, in which reference islhad to the accompanying drawings illustrating the said embodiment.

Referring to the drawings I Fig. 1 is a longitudinal medial sectional view of longitudinally aligned fragments of van embodiment of my invention. Fig.2 is an end view taken on the line 2-2 'ofFigl.

is a section taken on the line indicatedat 33 of Fig.2.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the disures and of a supporting tubular furnace charge endof theretort of the foregoing figshown in operative association therewith, and

of auxiliary apparatus including supporting V rollers for thezretort, and driving and sup porting elements for the furnace.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of certain of the driving elements for the retort. Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the machine 7 taken from the endopposite to that of Fig. 4. Efforts have been to effect a more efficient adj acent parts, some of the parts being shown in elevation.

nated by like reference characters, the retort,

illustrated therein, embodying my invention,

comprises an integral tubular casting pref erably of a nickel-chrome alloy material, comprising an enlarged tubular barrel 11, a

reduced tubular; stem end 12, adapted to be rotatably supported by its ends, which are adapted for projection externally of the tubular tiltable furnace 18 according to a well known practice, upon supporting rolls 19 and 20. The barrel 11 is provided at an end with an annular flange 13 to which a cover, 35, may

be clamped in the usual manner.

The relative disposition of the retort, the tubular furnace, thesupporting rolls for the retort, and the mans for rotating theretort v r 8Q Fig. 8 a transversesection taken on the line 8.8 of Fig. 1.

within the tubular furnace 18 and projects I beyond the two ends thereof, by the reduced may be susceptible to considerable variation in pract1ce, and do not form a part of the present lnvention, belng well known instrumentalities susceptible of use in combination with retorts of the general class in which my improved retort is contained.

Generally, however, the retort is telescoped portion 12 projecting beyond the head 14 at one end of the furnace and by the portion 15 which project beyond the head 16 at the other end of the furnace. l

The furnace preferably comprises Jits said end heads, and the cylindrical barrel 10 j oining the heads, there being provided a refractory lining 18 of fire-brick, or thelike, for said barrel and heads, as well as suitable burners for introducing gas to the space, be-

tween the interior lining of the furnace and the retort, forming the flame chamber ofthe furnace. V I

The retort is rotatably supported by its ends 12 and 15 upon separate pairs of rollers 20 and 19 respectively.- The rollers 19. disposed at one end of the furnace, to support theend 15 ofthe retort, engagesthe outer surface of the enlarged end 15, at points normally disposed below the horizontal plane including the axis of the retort.

. The rollers 20 engage the stem 12 between spaced flanges 21 of a wheel 22 which is V rigidly secured on to said stem, at points, also disposed below the horizontal plane of the axis ofthe retortythe wheel 22 is provided also with a set of sprocket teeth 23 disposed Suitable means such as the hand wheel 30,

acting through a worm 41 and gearsector 42 serve to bodily tilt theentirejfurnace with 7 its continuously rotating retort about the axis of the trunnions, whereby'the rotatable retort may have its dischargeend 15 turned downwards to discharge articles heat-treated and/ V or carburized therein, or whereby the retort inay assume its alternative horizontal oper- V atlve position as illustrated, wherem the rotating retort is exposed to the heat of combustion in the flame chamber from without its walls. 7 V

Carbunzmg gas is mtroduced 1n the usual manner through the'reduced end 12 of the retort by an axially projecting inlet tube 31,

receiving gas from a conduit 32 and which is joined to the reduced end 12 of the retort by a coupling element 33. A cover 35 is secured by clamps 36 to the flanged end of the retort and a venting tube 34 is projected through 7 provided suitable packing to prevent loss of gas from thecoupling. "The retort of my inventlon comprises intermediate its enlarged end 15 and its reduced opposite stem end 12 acarburizing and/or heat treating chamber portion 35 whose tubular walls are corrugated to form a plurality of longituditernate longitudinally extending ridges and depressions forsubstantially the full length of the chamber. trated as best shown in Fig. 2, there are four of these. ridges, shown at 36, which are of considerable width, extending radially of the axisof the chamber, with relatively narnally extending integral folds, forming al- In the embodiment illusrow depressions '37 interposed between them 'and formed by inwardly extending folds 38 comprising the lateral walls of the ridges.

The corrugated tube thus formed provides a plurality of longitudinally extending baffles on its inner surface comprising the lateral walls of the inward folds which engage with the articles placed in the chamber during rotation of the retort to tumble them in a most efficient manner, so as to expose all sides of the article to the action of the carburizing' gas passed into the retort. x

The material of the folds 38 and the end wall 39 are bridged, near the end of the chamher 35, interiorly thereof, by integral webs 40, which also effect a baffle function and strengthen the structure at this point. Exterior webs 41 also bridge the'reduced stem end 12 of the retort and the end portions of the outwardly extending ridges 36.

I find that aretort constructed as above .described having walls consisting of a plurality of alternate inward and outward folds will. absorb-the stresses due to alternate contraction and expansion induced by thermoalternate opposite thermal changes as during making the casting to form the retort and during the subsequent practical use of the retort.

Having thus described my invention in a specific embodiment, I am aware that numerous 'and extensive departures from the embodiment herein illustrated and described may be made, but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: i

1. A rotatable retort of the class described comprising a tubular heat treating chamber, and a reduced stem portion integrally secured thereto by an end wall to align the same there- 'with, the chamber having a longitudinally extending tubular wall formed with longi tudinally extending corrugations, the corrugations being deflected bodily inwardly i from the intermediate portions of the wall,

J and the end wall having inwardly generally radially extending recesses aligned with the outer wall of the corrugations.

2. A rotatable retort of the class described 15] comprising a tubular heat treating chamber, 7

and a reduced stem portion integrally secured thereto by an end wall to align the same therewith, the chamber having a longitudinally extending tubular wall formed with m longitudinally extending corrugations, the

corrugations being deflected bodily inwardly from the intermediate portions of the wall, and the end wall having inwardly generally radially extending recesses aligned with the 51 outer wall of the corrugations,,and webs disposed within said chamber integrally joining the inner end portions of the inwardly projecting corrugations with inwardly disposed portions of said end wall.

mi 3. A rotatable retort of theclass described comprising a tubular heat treating chamber, and a reduced stem portion integrally secured thereto by an end wall to align the same therewith, the chamber having a longi- 85, tudinally extending tubular wall formed with longitudinally extending corrugations, the corrugations being deflected bodily inwardly from the intermediate portions of the wall, and the end wall having inwardly gen- '40: erally radially extending recesses aligned with the outer wall of the corrugations, and webs, externally of the tubular chamber, connecting the stem and the end wall at portions thereof between said recesses.

'45 4. A rotatable retort of the class described comprising a tubular heat treating chamber, and a reduced stem integrally secured thereto by an end wall to longitudinally align the stem therewith, the chamber having a longi- 66, tudinally extending tubular wall formed with longitudinally extending corrugations, the corrugations being deflected bodily inwardly from the intermediate portions of the Wall, webs disposed within said chamber ,55 integrally joining the inner end portions of the inwardly projecting corrugations with inwardly disposed portions of said end wall, and webs disposed externally of the tubular chamber connecting the stem and the end E30, wall at portions thereof between said corrugations.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this thirty-first day of December, 1929.

v c5 WILLIAM CAMPBELL WHYTE. 

